Flaws in Arts Council England’s (ACE) Investment Strategy and major issues concerning its communication strategy and practice have been exposed by Baroness Genista McIntosh in her review, ‘Lessons Learned’, commissioned by ACE following extensive negative reaction to its funding review earlier this year. Her recommendations have been welcomed by Alan Davey, ACE’s new Chief Executive, who has detailed the organisation’s intentions to address each of the concerns. The broad thrust of the report is that while ACE clearly has the responsibility to make wide-ranging and difficult decisions, the 2008 review was badly handled, due to fundamental structural and procedural problems. Issues included the composition of the Council, the balance between regional and national representation and vision, the lack of support for, and consistency among, ACE Lead Officers, and the need for a better framework for carrying out funding reviews. The Baroness also recommended “that ACE take urgent steps to repair and renew those relationships that have been damaged as a result of the Investment Strategy process”. The arts sector has responded positively to the document. Lorna Brown of nalgao called it “pretty damning of the way in which the Arts Council went about the RFO review,” but added that she applauds ACE’s “determination to benefit from what it has learned”. Louise de Winter of the National Campaign for the Arts pointed out that “many of the suggestions… are steps in the right direction, but have long been understood within the arts world itself”.
